An 18-year-old father in Tennessee, Adrien Dokes, is accused of killing his 3-month-old son. Allegedly, while frustrated, he squeezed his neck and chin and pushed down on his abdomen, leading to his death.
Videos by Suggest
According to a release issued by the Knoxville Police Department (KPD), the incident occurred on Thursday, September 11. At around 8 p.m., KPD officers responded to a Forestal Drive residence after receiving a report of an unresponsive infant boy.
Upon arrival, authorities found the 3-month-old boy, who had sustained “severe injuries.” He was transported to the East Tennessee Children’s Hospital. There, unfortunately, he succumbed to his injuries hours after the initial response.
Authorities later learned that the boy had sustained the injuries while in the care of his father, Adrien Dokes. He was detained and questioned by the KPD Homicide Unit and Special Crimes detectives.
Frustration Leads To Death
According to a warrant obtained by WBIR, Dokes allegedly admitted to feeling frustrated, acting on it by squeezing his son’s neck and chin. The document detailed that the boy had noticeable jaw injuries when he was found unresponsive.
Furthermore, Dokes allegedly told police that he had pushed down on the baby’s abdomen with force. All of this led to the baby boy struggling to breathe, dying hours later.
As a result, Dokes was charged with first-degree murder in perpetuating aggravated child abuse. He is currently being held at the Knox County Jail on a $1 million bond.
As of September 12, the circumstances of the 3-month-old’s death remained under investigation. An autopsy will be conducted on the infant’s body at the Regional Forensic Center. Then, an official cause and manner of death, as well as the extent of his injuries, will be revealed.
This incident comes months after a West Virginia father, Zachary Williams, was accused of killing his infant son by throwing him into a bed frame.
As reported by Law & Crime, Williams allegedly admitted to killing his son after an autopsy showed that the infant had suffered a severe skull fracture. According to a complaint, Williams threw his son “out of frustration,” disturbingly similar to Dokes’ alleged murder.